Coal mining machine



Nov; 23, 1937. J. 0. WHITE COAL MINING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 23, 1937. J. c. WHITE COAL MINING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Nov. 23, 1937. J. (.2. WHITE COAL MINING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ll|llllllll|ll|lllllllllll z w a Nmfil m Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COAL MINING MACHINE Jerome C. White, Pittsburgh, Pa.,. assignor to Pittsburgh Coal Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 11, 1936, Serial No. 79,022 11 Claims. (Cl. 262-28) This invention relates to coal mining machines. I have found that the best results are ob- It has to do primarily with the control of the tained by confining or substantially confining atmosphere in and about the machine so as to the cut coal as soon as practicable after it is rematerially improve the working conditions to moved from the working face of the mine and which the workmen are subjected, and it also withdrawing the dust from the coal while it is results in longer lifeof the machine and a cleanso confined. This may be accomplished in varier and hence more desirable product. ous ways and when conveyors are used I prefer- It is a well known fact that in the mining of ably substantially enclose the same and withdraw coal small particles of such size as to be susthe dust by suction from the enclosure. I prel0 pended in the atmosphere are produced. These fer to provide ducts about the conveyors and to particles and suchother particles as may readwithdraw the dust along such ducts. ily be handled pneumatically are herein referred The dust may be withdrawn by any suitable to as dust. The dust produced in coal mines suction device and I find a rotary air pump to be may come either from the coal or from the particularly desirable, as such a device furnishes l5 strata encountered adjacent veins of coal. Cera ready way of precipitating the dust particles tain types of dust encountered in coal and other from the air carrying them so that the air mines are deleterious to the health of the minfree or substantially free from dust particles ers, and certain types of dust create great danmay be discharged back into the mine. In addiger due to explosions and fires. tion towithdrawing dust from the enclosures and disagreeable, the dust created by silicate withdrawing it from the atmosphere surroundformations may be mentioned. This dust when ing'the apparatus. This further assists in keepbreathed by the miners becomes deposited in ing the air pure and also lengthens the life of the miners lungs and may result in silicosis, a the machinery.

distressing and painful disease. Other details, objects and advantages of the 5 Certain veins of coal are found adjacent slliinvention will become apparent as the followcate veins and it is impossible to properly mine ing description of certain present preferred emsuch coal without creating substantial quantities bodiments thereof proceeds. of the undesirable and injurious silicate dust. In the accompanying drawings I have shown Various methods of alleviating the-condition thus certain present preferred embodiments of the 30 produced have been proposed but none has been invention, in which practical. The dust cannot be removed by the Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a plan view mine ventilating system and the cost of removand an elevational view, mainly diagrammatic,

ing it through ventilation of the mine would be of a coal cutting and loading machine;

prohibitive. It.is not practicable to equip the Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a plan view 35 miners with masks, as these interfere with the and an elevational view, to enlarged scale and miners work and greatly reduce their efllciency. with portions cut away, of the dust removing Moreover, a mask is only effective for a limited mechanism with which the machine shown in time and would not be practicable for this pur- Figures 1 and 2 is equipped;

pose. Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sec- 4 Extended research into ways and means of tional view through a portion of the mechanism alleviating the undesirable and dangerous condishown in Figure 4;

tions arising due to dust in mines has been car- Figure 6 is a plan view of a dust removing ried on bymy assignee, Pittsburgh Coal Comtray shown in Figure 5;

pany, and others, and as a result of my work for Figure 7 is a plan view with a portion cut 5 Pittsburgh Coal Company I have come to the away of a coal cutting head; conclusion that the only practicable way of re- Figure 8 is an elevational view of the cutting moving dust from mines is by doing so by suchead shown in Figure 7; and tion at or near the source of the dust. The prob- Figure 9 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional lem is considerably complicated when mechaniview taken on the line IX-IX of Figure 7. 50

cal mining and loading apparatus is used, as the Referring now more particularly to the drawcoal cut from the working face is handled or conings, reference number 2 designates the inteveyed by such machinery, which results in the rior of a coal mine in which coal is being removed creation of additional dust and the stirring up from the working face 3. The mine is provided or circulation of the dust previously created, with the usual tracks 4 on which is carried by 55 As an example of a dust which is'unhealthy above mentionedI also preferably provide for wheels 5 a cutting and loading machine designated generally by reference numeral 6 and whose function is to cut coal from the working face and convey the same to the rear where it is loaded directly into a suitable receptacle such as a mine car positioned on the track 4. The machine shown is of the well known Goodman type, and so far as the mechanical features of the machine are concerned these do not form per se the present invention, and the mechanical details of the machine will therefore not be described except in a general way and so as to enable a complete understanding of the invention and its application.

The machine comprises a base i which is suitably carried on the wheels 5, a cutting head 8 mounted at the forward'end of the machine and conveyors 9 and ID for conveying the cut coal to the rear and delivering it into a mine car. The cutting head 8 is mounted, as well known in the art, to swing or pivot about the point ii and is also vertically adjustable. It comprises a frame l2 about which operates an endless cutter chain 83 equipped with cutters l4 and driven by a sprocket l5. The cutter chain operates in the counter-clockwise direction viewing F gure 1.

When the machine is in use the cutting head is advanced into the working face as shown in Figure 1, the cut coal being carried rearwardly of the machine and discharged onto the conveyor 9, which is shown as being an endless conveyor. The conveyor 9 discharges at its rearward end at it onto the conveyor H], which is likewise shown as being an endless conveyor, and which discharges at its rearward end i1 into the mine car or the "gob. The mechanism for driving and operating the various parts of the machine is of standard construction and well known in the art.

The conveyor 9 is substantially enclosed by a duct i8, which may be of suitable material such as sheet metal, and which substantially completely surrounds the conveyor transversely thereof. The duct l9 has in its top an opening at i9 and extending between such opening and the rear end of the cutting head 8 is an expansible and retractible enclosing means 20 similar to an accordion but hollow from end to end. The bottom of the enclosing means 20 is sealed about the opening iii in the duct l8 and the cuttings from the cutting head 8 pass downwardly through the means 20 onto the conveyor 9 in the duct iii. The duct l8 also has-an opening in its top at its forward end, as shown at 2 I, which opening may be covered with a heavy mesh screen, as shown in Figure 3. The rear end of the duct I8 is open,

as shown at 22, to permit the conveyor 9 to discharge its contents onto the conveyor I0.

The conveyor I0 is surrounded transversely by a duct 23 which is open at its forward end at 24 to receive the material discharged by the conveyor 9 and which is open at its rear end at 25 to discharge the material into the mine car or to the gob pile. The ducts l8 and 23 are substantially sealed together by flexible material 26, which, however, permits relative movementtherebetween and between the respective conveyors 9 and iii.

A rotary air suction pump is provided, such pump being shown at 21. An opening is provided at 28 in the top of the duct l8, a hood 29 being sealed to such opening and communicating through a duct 30 to the inlet portion of the pump 21. The pump 21 may be of standard construction and discharges peripherally into a duct 3!,

which, in turn, discharges into a screen precipitator 32.

The pump 21 is of sufflcient capacity to draw dust-laden air through the duct i3 to such an ex tent that a materially reduced volume of dust remains in the atmosphere about the machine. The pump 21 draws the dust-laden air along the duct i8 from both directions and also along and from the duct 23 and the means 20. As most of the dust is created by the cutting head, a considerable proportion of it is drawn in at the top of the means 20 through which the cuttings pass to the conveyor 9. Also, dust from the surrounding atmosphere is drawn in through the means 29. Dust from the surrounding atmosphere is likewise drawn in through the opening at 2!, such opening being disposed above the forward extremity of the conveyor 9 so that the conveyor may at such point receive small pieces of coal dropped by the cutting'head or shoveled in through the opening 2i by hand. Thus the dustladen air throughout the entire conveyor system and from the cutting head and from the surrounding air is drawn into the pump 27.

The pump 21 is equipped with a suitable precipitator which precipitates out the hii'stlsuch precipitated dust dropping into a container 33.,

at the bottom of the machine. The'air' from which the dust has been precipitated passes through the duct 3i and into the screen precipitator 32 where any last dust particles are precipitated out. The air emerging from the precipitator 32 is in most cases sufliciently free from dust to be harmless to the workmen. Within the precipitator 32 is a bafile 34 and a number of precipitating trays 35, one of which is shown in plan view in Figure 6. These trays may be removed and cleaned as necessary.

In Figures 7, 8, and 9 is shown a modified form of cutting headwhich comprises a hollow frame 36 about which is driven a cutter chain 31 carrying cutters 38.

The frame 36 is provided with openings 39 and a duct 40 communicates with the interior of the frame, the lower or discharge ,end of the duct .communicating with the duct 9 shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive. Thus the dust-laden air and the dust created by the cutting head are drawn in through the openings 39 and through the interior of the hollow head and the duct 40 into the duct 9. When the cutting head shown in Figures '7, 8, and 9 is used in conjunction with a duct system as shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, exceptionally efiicient results in dust removal are accomplished.

My apparatus above described provides the first practical means of mining certain seams of coal which lie adjacent silicious formations without taking a chance of impairing the health of the miners. The control and withdrawal of the dustladen air also promotes the efficiency of the miners by making working conditions more pleasant and livable, the machinery lasts longer due to comparative freedom from dust particles, and the product is comparatively clean.

While I have shown and described certain pres ent preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a mechanical conveying device for receiv-- ing and conveying the cuttings from the cutting means, and means for confining and withdrawing 75 arcane dust originally carried into the conveying device along with the cuttings.

2. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, .a mechanical conveying device for receiving and conveying the cuttings from the cutting means, means for confining and withdrawing dust originally carried into the conveying device along with the cuttings, and a connection with said last mentioned means for withdrawing dust from the atmosphere surrounding" the machine.

3. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a substantially enclosed mechanical conveying device for receivingthe cuttings from the cutting means, and means for withdrawing dust from the cuttings along said conveying device.

4. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a mechanical conveying device, an entrance for cuttings from said cutting means into said conveying device, and means for confining and withdrawing from said conveying device dust carried into the conveying device along with the cuttings, said lastmentioned means also withdrawing dust from the atmosphere surrounding the machine;

5. A coal mining machinecomprising swingable cutting means, a predeterminedly positioned mechanical'conveying device for receiving cuttings from the cutting means, in any position thereof, means substantially enclosing the conveying det vice, auxiliary enclosing means communicating with said first mentioned enclosing means and with the cutting means and through which the cuttings pass upon being delivered from the cutting means to the conveying device, and means the cutting means to the conveying device, said auxiliary enclosing means being adjustable as to length depending upon the vertically adjusted position of the cutting means, and means for v for withdrawing dust within both said enclosing .said dust.

withdrawing dust-within both said enclosin means.

7. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a. mechanical conveying device for receiving cuttings from the cutting means, enclosing means substantially enclosing the conveying device and communicating with the cutting means, and means for withdrawing dust within the enclosing means, said last mentioned means and said enclosing means being so constructed and arranged as also to withdraw dust from the atmosphere surrounding the machine.

8. A coal mining machine comprising a hollow cutting head having cutting means mounted thereon, a conveying device for receiving cuttings from the cutting means, enclosing means substantially enclosing the conveying device and communicating with the interior of the cutting head, and means for withdrawing dust within the enclosing means.

9. A coal miningmachine comprising a hollow.

cutting head having cutting means mounted thereon, a conveying device for receiving cuttings from the cutting means, enclosing means substantially enclosing the conveying device and communicating with the interior of the cuttin head, and means'for withdrawing dust within the enclosing means, the cutting head having passage means .therethrough through which dust from the atmosphere surrounding the machine may be drawn. a

10. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a mechanical conveying device for receiving cuttings from the cutting means and for delivering the same at a point remote from the cutting means, enclosing means substantially enclosing the conveying device, and means communicating with the enclosing means intermediate the ends of "the conveying device for withdrawing dust therefrom.

11. A coal mining machine comprising cutting means, a mechanical conveying device for receiving and conveying the cuttings from the cutting means, means for confining and withdrawing dust originally carried into the conveying device along with, the cuttings, and means for precipitating JEROME C. 

